Lazy ‘Grease’ Fan Theory Suggests Sandy Was Dying The Whole Time

As fans are no longer content with consuming media just as it is, they often ascribe arbitrary, underlying theories to beloved movies and television shows to inject some deeper meaning to the story -- even if it makes no sense. Enter a 2013 theory that speculates the plot of the 1978 movie Grease is the product of a coma-induced fantasy that takes place entirely in Sandy's head. Also, she dies at the end and flies up to Heaven in Danny's newly restored convertible (???).

The bogus theory -- which originated on Reddit way back in 2013, but is widely circulating online today (September 8, 2016) for some reason -- begins with a selective reading of a single line from the song “Summer Nights.” In it, John Travolta’s Danny explains he met Sandy (played by Olivia Newton-John) when he saved her from drowning at the beach, singing to his T-Birds cohorts, “I saved her life / She nearly drowned."

Offering zero supporting evidence, the theory claims this line indicates the opposite of what it outright states -- that Sandy actually did drown at the beach that day. It conveniently ignores the fact that the entirety of "Summer Nights" plays off the false bravado and machismo inherent in adolescent male friendships. Danny exaggerates his meet-cute story and plays up his toughness to his friends to impress them, while Sandy's version of events (the very next line has her singing, "He showed off, splashing around") is softer and sweeter. Did this theorist even go to high school?

The theory continues, explaining that the entire movie is merely a coma-induced fantasy where Sandy imagines she and Danny "shared a magical year of high school together,” which means poor Sandy's idea of "magical" includes altering her entire appearance and personality for this fictional Danny, even in her own unconscious mind.

But that's not all: The final scene -- in which Danny and Sandy ascend to the sky in his convertible -- is apparently the moment where Sandy's body and mind give in to death's sweet release: “The visions get increasingly outlandish as time passes, until finally, as Danny desperately tried to resuscitate her on the beach, she sees herself flying into Heaven in her dying moments."

It's a dark theory for a lighthearted musical about a bunch of high school kids that elicited a sequel (hinging on the fact that the car seems to "fly" at the end). Head over to Reddit to read it in full, and let us know if you subscribe to this nonsensical version of events.